One in five adults struggles with some form of mental illness. Often, the stigma surrounding the condition discourages them from seeking treatment and they end up suffering in silence. A partnership between Bell Canada and Queen’s University resulted in Bell Let’s Talk creating the world’s first ever mental health and anti-stigma research chair. Queen’s University’s Heather Stuart is helping change the way people think about mental health, reduce stigma, and address fears and prejudices associated with mental illness.

The partnership was renewed for another five years in January 2017. Bell Canada’s support for the position will allow Stuart to focus her research on developing and disseminating best practices to reduce stigma.